Neck assembly for thin walled container

ABSTRACT

A neck assembly for a container body such as may be formed from polymers of the unsaturated olefin series in a blow molding operation. The container body has a flexible annular neck extending therefrom, and is of a thickness that can be folded upon itself about an annular ring. A neck piece has an annular groove therein of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the annular ring and the folded over portions of the annular neck together with the annular ring are inserted into the annular groove with an interference fit. The annular groove is undercut to cooperate with a land on the annular ring to provide a tightly locking assembly.

United States Patent Liebertz 1451 Apr. 18, 1972 541 NECK ASSEMBLY FOR THIN WALLED' 2,643,448 6/1953 Piazze ..215/1 1 x CONTAINER 2,826,324 3/1958 Hoag mm 1 Inventor! wollfliflg Hebert! wilmingmn, DeL Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-David A. Scherbel [73] Asslgnee' $222222 Cmpommn of America Attorney--Carpenter, Ostis & Lindberg [22] Filed: Sept. 11, 1969 [57] ABSTRACT [2 1] App]. No.; 856,986 A neck assembly for a container body such as may be formed from polymers of the unsaturated olefin series in a blow molding operation. The container body has a flexible annular neck 52 Us. 01 ..222/570, 150/8, 222/107 extending therefrom. and is of a thickness mat can be folded [5 l] Int. Cl .365! 35/44 upon itself about an annular ring A neck piece has an anmdar Field 0! Search ..l50/O.5, 8; 215/1 1; 2 2/5 ve therein of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of 105, 386-5 the annular ring and the folded over portions of the annular neck together with the annular ring are inserted into the annu- [56] References Cited lar groove with an interference fit.

UNITED STATES PATENTS The annular groove is undercut to cooperate with a land on the annular rin to rovide a ti tl lockin assembl 2,476,446 7/1949 Lindell ..222/1o7 g p gh y g y 2,606,485 8/1952 Miller, ,Jr. ..l50/0.5 X lClaims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 l I v 22 L 17 1e 15 l3 12 l I PATENTEDAPR 18 I972 3', 656. 668

FIGZ

INVENTOR WOLFGANG LIEBERTZ BY (M, 0m {17% ATTORNEYS.

1 NECK ASSEMBLY FOR WALLED CONTAINER neck piece to complete the neck assembly.

DRAWING FIG. Us a longitudinal sectional view taken through a neck assembly for a container body, the neck assembly being constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view through the compliant annular neck of the container showing one of the steps of folding the 13 with the folds l5 therearound, and has a flange l7 and an annular rib 18 molded integrally as a unit. The neck piece 16 has a passage 21 which is coaxial with the annular flange 12 of the container body 11.

Neck piece 16 has an annular groove 19 with entrant jaws 20 thereto, the annular groove 19 having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the annular ring 13. The groove 19 is undercut as at 22 so that the land 14 of the ring 13 together with the folds thereabout may be inserted into the annular groove 19, the annular ring 13 being locked to the neck piece 16 by reason of the undercutting described.

The neck piece 16 has male threads 23 moulded integrally therewith, these threads cooperating with female threads 26 of a closure cap 24.

neck about an annular ring forming a part of the neck assembly according to the invention; and

FIG; 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the completed steps of folding the compliant annular neck about the annular ring.

Referring now to the drawing, the neck assembly according to the present invention is denoted by the reference numeral 10 and is shown in the environment of a container body 11 having an annular neck 12. The container body 11 and the annular neck 12 are integrally formed and may be formed in a blow molding process using resins or polymers of the unsaturated olefin series. The annular neck 12 is compliant and is folded in the steps seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 about an annular ring 13 having a land or stiffening head 14-, giving a generally keyhole shaped cross-section.

The compliant annular neck 12 is folded about the ring 13 in the form of a connected pair of folds 15 with ring '13 therebetween.

A neck piece 16 is adapted to be joined to the annular ring t l-la Iclaim: l. A neck assembly for attaching a pliant container neck to a rigid cap, consisting solely of:

a. a retainer ring having a generally key-hole shaped crosssection with a circular upper portion and an elongated lower portion;

b. a neck piece including:

i. a neck portion for attachment to said cap;

ii. a body portion for attachment to said container neck and having a groove of a cross-section similar to the cross-section of said ring for receiving said ring;

c. said groove having a circular upper portion and an elongated lower portion communicating therewith, said lower portion being defined by opposed flexible entrant jaws;

d. said container neck having a portionthereof folded over said ring and positioned within said groove with the upper portion of said groove embracing the upper portion of said ring and said container neck and with said entrant jaws snugly engaging the lower portion of said ring and said container neck to provide a self-contained, interlocking connection between said neck piece and said container neck. 

1. A neck assembly for attaching a pliant container neck to a rigid cap, consisting solely of: A. A RETAINER RING HAVING A GENERALLY KEY-HOLE SHAPED CROSSSECTION WITH A CIRCULAR UPPER PORTION AND AN ELONGATED LOWER PORTION; B. A NECK PIECE INCLUDING: I. A NECK PORTION FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID CAP; II. A BODY PORTION FOR ATTACHMENT TO SAID CONTAINER NECK AND HAVING A GROOVE OF A CROSS-SECTION SIMILAR TO THE CROSSSECTION OF SAID RING FOR RECEIVING SAID RING; C. SAID GROOVE HAVING A CIRCULAR UPPER PORTION AND AN ELONGATED LOWER PORTION COMMUNICATING THEREWITH, SAID LOWER PORTION BEING DEFINED BY OPPOSED FLEXIBLE ENTRANT JAWS; D. SAID CONTAINER NECK HAVING A PORTION THEREOF FOLDED OVER SAID RING AND POSITIONED WITHIN SAID GROOVE WITH THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID GROOVE EMBRACING THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID RING AND SAID CONTAINER NECK AND WITH SAID ENTRANT JAWS SNUGLY ENGAGING THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID RING AND SAID CONTAINER NECK TO PROVIDE A SELF-CONTAINED, INTERLOCKING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID NECK PIECE AND SAID CONTAINER NECK. 